IMPACT Project Shares Experience, Improves HIV/AIDS Response

MAY 2007—FHI and USAID shared lessons learned from the Implementing AIDS Prevention and Care (IMPACT) Project with Government of Ethiopia health and policy experts, partners, and local nongovernmental and community organizations at a half-day meeting held March 28 in Addis Ababa at the United Nations Conference Center. Among approximately 300 in attendance were Minister of the Health His Excellency Dr. Tedros Adhanom and U.S. Ambassador to Ethiopia Don Yamamoto.

Working in Ethiopia since 2001, the FHI-implemented IMPACT Project has helped build an expanded and comprehensive response to HIV/AIDS in that country. The project focused on Addis Ababa and three regional states—Amhara; Oromia; and the Southern Nations, Nationalities, and People's Region.

Through the IMPACT Project, FHI worked with regional health bureaus and HIV/AIDS prevention and control offices to coordinate a regional response to the HIV/AIDS pandemic. Project officials consulted with and engaged stakeholders from diverse sectors to work together to provide a comprehensive response to HIV/AIDS. A range of local nongovernmental and community-based organizations also contributed to this effort.

The project established HIV-prevention programs for taxi drivers in Addis Ababa and ensured quality HIV counseling and testing in 484 public health centers around the country. In implementing home- and community-based care programs in 14 cities, IMPACT involved idirs, or traditional burial societies that help families after a relative dies. The project trained idir members to provide emotional and financial support to families with HIV-positive relatives, in addition to their traditional support. Through these programs, approximately 46,000 chronically ill and bedridden patients received care from 11,000 trained volunteers.

IMPACT also developed behavior-change communication strategies and campaigns to combat HIV-related stigma and discrimination. In addition, the project promoted volunteer counseling and testing in target regions, helping to expand HIV counseling and testing services by integrating them into the standard package of services provided at government health centers. Between 2001 and 2006, the number of counseling and testing sites in the four regions grew from 157 to 750.

Finally, IMPACT created the Ethiopian Youth Network, a national network of youth groups that coordinates and engages the efforts of youth groups throughout the country in the response to the HIV/AIDS pandemic.

A five-year, US $20-million program funded through the US President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief, IMPACT ended in September 2006. Lessons learned and experiences shared at the March 28 meeting and in project documents will inform follow-on project work.

PHOTOS: (top) a poster from an FHI behavior change communication campaign; (above) taxi drivers and assistants in Addis Ababa. (FHI/Ethiopia)